July 13th

"So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace." Romans 11:5

in the din of the angry,
shouting, chanting voices
breaking all decibel records,
there is a little girl
singing of gentleness.
in the crowds of folks
who are pushing and pulling
at grace as if it was
a ball in a rugby scrum,
there is a referee reminding
folks that it is just a game, after all.
in the alley way, where
loneliness sits huddled in
a sagging cardboard box,
as tears from heaven
rat-a-tat over its head, a
homeless fellow walks by
offering a sip of hope, and
then walks on, saying,
'keep the bottle.'

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 12th

“They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark 1:22

if only
i might be knocked
off my feet by your stories
about you coming to find
the lost (even me).
if only
i might be gobsmacked
by your simple assurance
that you welcome us
just as we are (even me).
if only
i might be stunned
by your insistence that
our worth is not based
on what we achieve,
but by God’s grace (even for me).
if only
i could be astounded
by that good news
which seems so comfortable,
so convenient, so ordinary,
that we yawn every time
we hear it (especially me).

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 11th

“Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.” Matthew 24:46

when we roll up our sleeves,
our hands fragrant from
the bread we share,
cradling the tears of
those the world forgot,
and planting hope in all
the exhausted places,
we are merely blessings
as you taught us.
you don’t care if we
set the alarm for the
right time, but that we
were too busy caring
for the lonely,
the overlooked kids,
the weary souls just
at the edge of our lives.
so may we stop glancing
at the sky, and open our doors,
for you weave every act
of kindness into a welcome mat
as you arrive disguised
in all who show up needing
grace.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 10th

"But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your
heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);" Romans 10:8

like little kids taking
a vow to keep a secret
and miming locking
our lips with a key, we
seem reluctant to sing
of grace to those who
have forgotten the tune
as well as the words.
like a dog which builds
a 'fort' of pillows and blankets
to hide behind when the
fireworks are going off,
we think justice needs
to be protected at all costs
from those who would
sneak in and pry it from
our privileged grasp.
like those who are deaf
to the familiar words
their loved ones tell them
because they just
do not care any more,
we refuse to listen
to the joyous shouts
of those who discover
how easy it is to show
mercy to others, rather
than carry grudges
throughout each day.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 9th

"What shall I return to the Lord
     for all his bounty to me?" Psalm 116:12

when, at the last,
i stand before you—
may i have no love left
because i shared it
without any conditions,
no grace in my pockets
because i handed it out
to those i met along the way,
no hope tucked away in my soul
because i set it free to run
and throw its arms around
those forgotten by the world,
no justice left in my hands
because i used it to build
better communities for all
judged unfairly by the privileged,
no peace because there were
people who needed it to bring
an end to ancient hostilities,
no ego because i met those
who set aside their dreams
to care for the most vulnerable
of all your children rather
than serve themselves.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 8th

"but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
   in those who hope in his steadfast love." Psalm 147:11

remind us, Tender Heart,
to look past that ancient bugaboo
that we are supposed
to stand before you,
shaking in our shoes,
knees knocking a rhythm,
terror's tremors reducing us
to seeming puddles of nothingness,
but
to see you holding out
your hands to gather all
our panicky, prickly fears
so you can rub them
to dust in your hands
and then blow them away
like dandelion puffs in grass
where the Spirit will transform
them into hope which will
shower us like cooling rain
on the hottest day imaginable.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 7th

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

not all our yesterdays
which try to pull
us back into foolishness,
nor our tomorrows
which crouch outside
with fear and worry;
not the doubts
we keep bumping
our heads on,
nor the slippery peels
of our banality;
not our towering
arrogance which
pushes you aside,
nor our unabashed
allegiance to voices
of animosity
will ever convince
you
to stop loving
us.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman